Imbuements
Though all evokers draw upon the same reservoir of basic templates for their radiant armaments, it is rare indeed for any two devices or costumes to be entirely alike. Evokers are capable of infusing their costumes with powerful effects known as Imbuements, or more generally, Armament Effects. Doing so saturates their equipment with radiant powers that take hold when worn. An evoker does not need to 'learn' armament effects - she may access the full list at any time, and may imbue her costume and device with any combination of them with a five-minute ritual, which she may undertake as part of the same ritual she uses to prepare illuminations. An evoker may only infuse her costume with a limited number of embellishments at any given time, as shown on the table below. A magical girl may further empower her costume by imbuing her various armament effects with motes. As a swift action, she may allocate motes freely in any number of her armament effects, up to a maximum of level motes in any single effect. Motes invested in such effects are removed from the evoker’s mote pool, and do not return when her pool refreshes. If points are removed from her armament effects, the evoker regenerates them as normal when her mote pool next refreshes. Device Effects Enhanced Indisputably the oldest of all armament effects, this simple infusion was born at the dawn of time itself. It has existed, in countless different forms, from the very first time a mortal opened her heart to the light and let it flow through her to shape the world. As such, there is no easily defined ‘default’ manifestation for this effect. It is unique to each individual evoker, bringing her weapon closer to her personal vision of an ideal tool. Blades sharpen, grips tighten, and balance perfects itself until the weapon feels like nothing so much as a flawless extension of its wielder’s own body. Effect: The evoker’s weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus, or increases an existing enhancement bonus by +1. This increase is not subject to the normal limit of a +5 enhancement bonus on a magic weapon. Essence Boost: For every 3m invested in this costume element, the enhancement bonus increases by +1. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel the effect, the evoker may convert any amount of the enhancement bonus granted by this effect into various weapon enchantments. This does not allow the evoker to convert points of enhancement bonus that do not stem from this effect, and she may not reduce the weapon’s total enhancement bonus below +1 by converting it into enchantments. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the champion’s Charisma modifier. Berserking For all their imagery as instruments of light and justice, at the end of the day a device's true purpose is no different from any other weapon's - it is a tool of bloodshed, nothing less. Many evokers, particularly those newly come into their power, shy from acknowledging this, but those who realize the truth have long made use of this particularly brutal enhancement. A berserking weapon is often serrated or spined, or inlaid with subtle grooves to channel the blood of those it strikes. When imbued with motes, an evoker might well find it twitching in her grasp, ever eager to bathe in crimson once again. Effect: Whenever the evoker damages a creature with the device, the target is afflicted with a vulnerability to further radiant assault. This vulnerability causes them to take an additional 3 damage whenever they are damaged by one of the evoker's illuminations. This vulnerability lasts one minute, and stacks up to five times. If multiple stacks are applied at different strengths, the evoker may choose to overwrite weaker stacks with stronger ones when applying them. Essence Boost: For every 3m invested in this costume element, the vulnerability inflicted by this effect increases by 1 per stack. For every 6m invested in this effect, you may target an additional creature within reach whenever you make a melee attack with your device, or an additional target adjacent to your initial target when making a ranged attack with your device. You may not target the same creature twice with the same attack. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel the effect, the evoker channels a surge of pure, radiant violence to deal damage to any creature currently suffering a vulnerability to illumination. This damage my not be reduced or mitigated in any way, and is equal to * the creature's current vulnerability to the evoker's illuminations. Oversized Finesse and cunning have their place, but to some evokers, there is no expression of power truer to their hearts than simply flattening an opponent with sheer brute force. Devices manifesting this effect are, as one might expect, outlandishly large and heavy - the exact aesthetics are quite variable, but oversized devices are nearly always styled to emphasize their raw power. When imbued with motes, the device often manifests additional weighty trappings to aid in battering enemies into submission. Effect: The evoker’s device deals additional damage with attacks equal to its base weapon damage - thus, a device that normally deals 1d8 damage now deals 2d8 damage. Additionally, the weight of the device increases by x10. The evoker may ignore this increase in weight for the purpose of determining her encumbrance. Essence Boost: For every 2m invested in this device effect, the evoker gains a +1 bonus on trip and bull rush attempts. If at least 6m are invested in this effect, the evoker may use these maneuvers against opponents of any size, and no longer needs to move with her target when bull rushing if she wishes to push them the full distance. If at least 12m are invested in this effect, the evoker may make a free trip or bull rush attempt against a target whenever she deals at least 20 damage with a single weapon attack. For every size category her target is above medium, the required damage increases by +20. Cartridge Boost: Whenever the evoker successfully trips an opponent, she may expend a cartridge to temporarily amplify the weight of her device to impossible levels, trapping her opponent beneath its mass. The target is pinned, as if from a grapple. Escaping this pin requires a standard action, and a successful strength or dexterity check, opposed by the evoker's strength check - the evoker receives a +2 bonus on this check. Unlike a normal grapple, the evoker may not use her device for anything else, but is otherwise unrestricted in her actions. If the target escapes, this effect immediately ends - otherwise, it ends after a number of rounds equal to the champion's Charisma modifier. Protective The warriors of light rarely are so fortunate as to do battle on even terms – often, a single protector must do battle against a veritable tide of foes, holding back those who would harm her allies. Said to have been first manifested by a brother and sister defending their town against an invading army, this costume element grants an evoker an uncannily acute perception of her surroundings. Most often, this costume element manifests as a series of multifaceted gemstones or polished mirrors, sparkling with inner light as they passively scan the environment for incoming threats. When infused with motes, this glimmer becomes a constant, steady glow, and sleek lines of data-carrying luminous essence crisscross the weapon’s surface. Effect: The evoker gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls on attacks of opportunity, and the DC for enemies to tumble through spaces she threatens is increased by +3. Essence Boost: For every 2m invested in this effect, the bonus to attacks of opportunity increases by +1, and the bonus to Tumble DCs increases by +2. If at least 8m are invested in this effect, any enemy who leaves a square she threatens provokes an attack of opportunity from the magical girl, even if they are taking a 5’ step or other form of movement that does not normally provoke attacks of opportunity. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, enemies who enter spaces she threatens provoke attacks of opportunity from the champion. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the champion’s Charisma modifier. Temporal Across countless worlds, light and time are inextricably intertwined. The rise and fall of the sun, moon, and stars mark the passage of the sands in the cosmic hourglass. It should come as no surprise then that to those born of the light have a unique association with time – in times of great need, an evoker manifesting this effect may find themselves granted a reprieve from what most would consider inevitable, turning back their mistakes in search of a perfect moment. This device effect often embeds at least one timepiece on the evoker’s equipment; be it a clock, an hourglass, or even a sundial. When infused with motes, these ornaments spring to life with a whirring of tiny gears and flowing sand, mechanisms ticking along with the march of seconds. Effect: The evoker may, once per encounter, reroll a single attack roll, damage roll, or opposed skill check. She must accept the result of this new roll, even if it is worse than the original. If she has an evoker level of at least 8, she may use this ability twice per encounter. If she has an evoker level of at least 16, she may use it three times per encounter. If used out of combat, one use of this effect is exhausted until the beginning of the next combat. Essence Boost: For every 3m invested in this effect when its reroll is expended, the evoker may roll the results an additional time if the initial reroll gives unsatisfactory results. The evoker is not obliged to use all the rerolls available to her, and may accept her roll at any point in the process. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion gains an additional opportunity to reroll for the present encounter. If this extra reroll is not used within a number of rounds equal to the champion’s Charisma modifier, it is lost. Resplendent Light, and those who wield it, are quite often the center of attention, like it or not. Their powers are flashy, glamorous, and often relatively unknown to those unfamiliar with the various branches of magic. Some evokers shy from such a role, but many embrace it wholeheartedly, making the battlefield their stage and their powers a personal spotlight. First crafted by such enthusiasts, this gaudy but undeniably effective device element allows an evoker to house a measure of her personal radiance in her device for later use. This costume effect most commonly manifests by embossing a weapon with precious metals and jewels of incalculable value. When infused with motes, radiant energy seeps from the weapon itself, leaving a shimmering trail of light whenever it is swung. Effect: The save DC of any illuminations used by the evoker increases by +1. Essence Boost: By investing motes into this effect, an evoker can store illuminations for later use. Doing so requires a number of motes be invested equal to the cost of the stored illumination. This illumination may be used at any time. Instead of expending motes, using a stored illumination causes all motes to immediately uninvest from this effect, returning to the evoker’s mote pool (despite uninvested motes not normally returning to the mote pool until it refreshes). An evoker may only store an illumination she currently has readied - if she at any point no longer has the stored illumination as a readied illumination, the motes invested in this effect automatically uninvest themselves. Unlike with most costume effects, placing motes into this effect requires a full-round action, rather than as part of the swift action that usually allows reallocation of motes into a costume. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion’s mote pool immediately refreshes, as if at the beginning of a new turn. Resolved Though her inner radiance gives her many powers, there are some foes that magical girls simply cannot effectively harm. They lack the brute strength to cleave through the steely hides of beasts fortified by artifice or arcana, and many of the fiends that make up some of their most persistent foes enjoy innate protection from the blows of any mortal weapon. Despite the grave disadvantages they face, some particularly bold evokers have nonetheless taken up the challenge of hunting such monsters down, learning to temper their resolve into a weapon that can strike down any foe. Effect: The attacks of the evoker ignore 3 points of damage resistance or hardness, and she gains a +1 bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits. Essence Boost: For every 1m invested in this effect, the evoker's attacks bypass an addition point of DR. For every 2m invested in this effect, she gains an additional +1 on rolls to confirm critical hits. If at least 6m is invested in this effect, any creature dealt damage by the evoker's device loses any fast healing or regeneration it might possess for one round. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion's attacks leave behind a powerful mystical residue that prevents enemies from simply shrugging of their wounds. Targets dealt damage by the evoker's device become unable to receive supernatural healing until this effect wears off. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to the champion's Charisma modifier. Costume Effects Defiant Long ago, in a city ruled by force and fear, a single girl rose up to wield the light on behalf of her people. Seeing her standing unafraid before his palace, the ruler of the city was infuriated, ordering his legions of guards to execute the girl where she stood. Yet however many dozens of soldiers charged this lone evoker, none could seem to so much as scratch her armor. Her unwavering defiance drove the common folk to rise up as one, and it was not long until evokers across the land had devised costume elements to mimic that which had wrought such a miracle. A costume manifesting this element grows thick and solid, often forming metal plates to protect vital areas and giving even cloth a stiffness and rigidity capable of repelling blows. When infused with motes, the resilience of her armor permeates the evoker’s own body – faint pulses of light can be seen beneath her skin, and strikes against even exposed flesh rebound as if their target were made of living steel. Effect: The evoker gains DR 1/Adamantine. Additionally, she gains 25% fortification, giving her a chance to negate any sneak attack or critical hit and force damage to be rolled normally. Essence Boost: Every 1m invested in this effect increases the granted fortification by 5%. Every 3m invested in this effect increases the granted DR by 2. If at least 12m have been invested in this effect, the damage reduction become DR X/-, and may no longer be overcome with an adamantine weapon. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion can call upon a mighty surge of bravado and issue a challenge near-impossible to ignore. The evoker designates one target within 60’, which must make a Will saving throw against a DC equal to the save DC of the champion’s Illuminations. Should it succeed, the cartridge is expended, and the effect wasted. Should it fail this saving throw, its mind is overwhelmed by the force of the challenge, and it is considered blinded when attacking any creature other than the champion who triggered this boost. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the champion’s Charisma modifier, or until the champion ends her turn more than 60’ from her target, whichever comes first. Imposing Legends have always occupied a special sort space in the minds of mortals - larger than life, and always as strong as they need be. A hero may bear the weight of the world on their shoulders and stand unbowed, or shatter the heaviest of chains with a simple flexing of their muscles. It is difficult to say whether such legends inspired this costume effect or the other way around, but its effects are undeniable. Effect: The evoker gains a +3 bonus to grapple checks, strength checks, strength-based skill checks, and her effective Strength score for the purpose of determining carrying capacity. Additionally, she may multiply her carrying capacity by 2. Additionally, when you succeed in grappling a creature, you may attempt to hold them at bay using only a single hand. Doing so prevents you from becoming grappled yourself (allowing you to keep your dexterity bonus to AC, continue to threaten an area, and use any remaining limbs freely), but inflicts a -10 penalty on all checks to sustain the grapple. Essence Boost: For every 2m invested in this effect, the bonus to grapple checks, strength checks, strength-based skill checks, and effective strength for determining carrying capacity increases by +1. For every 4m invested in this effect, the multiplier on carrying capacity increases by 1. If at least 9m are invested in this effect, the evoker gains Powerful Build, functioning identically to the Half-Giant trait of the same name. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion temporarily assumes a herculean stature. This increases her size category by one, and grants her a +2 bonus to strength and a +1 bonus to natural armor (which replace the normal bonuses for changing size). If the evoker wishes, all equipment she is currently wearing or carrying is similarly enlarged. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the champion's Charisma modifier, and does not stack with other temporary effects which increase size, such as Enlarge Person. Nimble Light is not simply ‘fast’. It is, by the measurements of most sages, the very benchmark by which all other speed is measured. It travels at rates mortals simply cannot comprehend, traversing the endless expanses of emptiness between sun, moon, stars, and the worlds of mortals far below. This costume effect seeks to tap a tiny portion of that swiftness and freedom, letting its wearer dance across the battlefield like the light she wields. In most cases, this effect modifies a costume to be sleeker and more aerodynamic: excess material is cut away, and that which remains hugs close to its wearer’s body. When infused with motes, this progresses dramatically, and this costume effect has gained a degree of infamy in some circles for the enthusiasm with which some evokers designate portions of their attire as ‘excess’. Effect: The evoker gains a +5 bonus to Jump, Swim, Climb, Tumble, and Balance checks. Additionally, she does not suffer any reduction to speed from wearing armor or carrying a medium or heavy load. All other penalties of being overburdened still apply, and she is still incapable of carrying more than her maximum load. Essence Boost: For every 3m invested in this effect, the evoker’s base land speed increases by 10 feet. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion may teleport a distance up to three times her highest movement speed. She must be able to trace a viable movement path from her initial location to her destination. In this movement, she may pass through enemies, difficult terrain, and any space large enough to squeeze through without hindrance, but cannot penetrate solid matter. This is an instantaneous effect. Primal Many evokers feel a strong connection with an aspect of nature, particularly in its purest and most primal forms. Those who take this connection beyond mere idle admiration often manifest this costume element, imbuing themselves with the power of the building blocks of creation itself. These evokers often develop an iconic association with their favored element, inexorably linking themselves to it in the public eye. This element most often manifests by shifting the color scheme and design of the costume to a palette associated with the chosen element. When infused with motes, the costume often begins to manifest direct incarnations of the chosen element – crystalline spikes of ice, a cloak of flame, or a softly dripping sheen of caustic acid. Effect: Upon manifesting this costume element, the evoker must choose an energy type (Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, or Sonic). She gains Resist 5 to that energy type. Additionally, whenever she deals damage of that type using a blast illumination, that illumination deals an additional +1 damage per die. Essence Boost: For every 2m invested in this effect, the resistance to the chosen energy increases by 5. For every 6m invested in this effect, the boost to illuminations dealing damage of the chosen element increases by +1. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, elemental essence surges throughout the champion’s body, letting her draw power from the element she exemplifies. For each point of energy damage she resists with this ability, the champion restores 2 HP. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the champion’s Charisma modifier. Subtle For all the glory and wonder of the light, sometimes its children must by necessity walk in places without it. Even in the shadows, however, light turns to the aid of a magical girl, bending around her and shielding her from the sight of those from whom she wishes to stay hidden. Though this costume effect is frowned upon by some evokers as duplicitous and underhanded, there are many who favor it - and the chance to avoid violence that it represents. This effect most commonly manifests as a subdued palette of environmental hues, lightweight material extending to cover as much of the evoker's body as possible with the unobtrusive designs. When infused with motes, the patterns of the costume begin to shift and shimmer, actively changing hue to better blend with the environment. Effect: The evoker gains a +3 bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks. Essence Boost: For every 3m invested in this effect, the bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks increases by +2. If at least 9m is invested in this effect, the evoker may move up to her normal speed without incurring penalties on hide or move silently checks. If at least 15m have been invested in this effect, she may attempt to hide even while being observed. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, light itself ignores the champion's presence, passing through her without a trace. She becomes invisible for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier. Attacking does not break the invisibility, but it reduces the remaining duration by one round. Only one round may lost from the duration of this effect each turn, regardless of how many attacks are made. Warded Some students of more refined forms of mysticism have an unfortunate tendency to glare down their oft-bespectacled noses at magical girls. Like warlocks, more than a few face prejudice for the fact their their powers are not 'real' magic. Most magical girls laugh off such nonsensical accusations with hardly a thought, but at least one took the time to devise a costume element to show those snooty magi what-for. While modern magical girls may not approve of the sentiment of petty revenge, many still pay thanks for the astoundingly useful effect devised in its pursuit. This costume element most frequently manifests as a display of intricate runic embroidery - often this is meaningless gibberish, but some magical girls make an effort to give their designs some measure of coherence. When infused with motes, these runes gleam brightly with an inner power, and the magical girl can be seen to be surrounded by a nearly invisible crystalline barrier, occasionally glinting with polychromatic light. Effect: The evoker gains Spell Resistance 10 and Power Resistance 10. Essence Boost: For every 4m invested in this effect, the SR and PR each increase by 5. Cartridge Boost: When the evoker's SR or PR successfully blocks a spell or power, she may expend a cartridge as an immediate action to turn it back upon its caster. A spell or power reversed in this manner retains all its original parameters - only the target changes. This cartridge effect can only be triggered in retaliation to effects that target the evoker. Weightless None can say for certain where or by whom this costume element was devised. Perhaps it was a cunning soldier, recognizing the advantages that came with a vantage high above the battlefield. Perhaps it was an explorer, wondering what mysteries lay just out of reach for those who walked the earth below. Or perhaps it was simply an idle dreamer, caught up in a whim to fly like the birds and taste the freedom of the skies. Whatever its origin, it has since been applied to every purpose imaginable, as one of the most popular and practical powers any evoker can manifest. The Weightless effect tends to add ribbons, tassels, and long, flowing cuts of cloth to a costume, whirling about with the evoker’s movements. When infused with motes, the entire costume seems to float untouched by gravity, and to billow softly in a wind no others can feel. Effect: The evoker gains a fly speed equal to her base land speed, with clumsy maneuverability. However, this flight is exceedingly short-lived, and the evoker must end any movement on solid ground or fall immediately. Essence Boost: For every 2m invested in this effect, the maneuverability of the evoker increases by one step, to a maximum of Perfect. If at least 6m are invested in this effect, the evoker no longer needs to end her turn on solid ground, and may fly and hover freely (even if her maneuverability is not good enough to hover under normal circumstances). If at least 12m have been invested in this effect, the evoker’s flight speed doubles. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion’s costume is empowered to the point where it can rid her not only of weight, but of mass as well. Until the end of her turn, the champion becomes Incorporeal, gaining all the effects and penalties associated with that subtype. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the champion’s Charisma modifier, but is only active during her own turns. Wild Though many modern evokers prefer the comfort of cities and the companionship of their fellow mortals, there was a time in which the wielders of light were friends to all living things upon the world. Animals are simple creatures, and are instinctively drawn to the passion and warmth of an evoker's inner fire. The Wild costume element arose from those who returned this affection, bonding with and learning from the inhabitants of those wild places which yet remain in the world. A costume manifesting this element tends to display prominent animalistic features: rabbit ears, a cat's tail, or even the elaborate tattoos in the pattern of a one beast or another. When infused with motes, these features take on a life of their own - no longer simple props, they often seem to merge with the evoker, becoming flesh-and-blood in their own right. Effect: The evoker gains a form of Wild Empathy. This functions identically to the Druid ability of the same name, save that the evoker uses Level + Evoker Stat to calculate her Wild Empathy bonus. Additionally, she may make a Wild Empathy check as a standard action, without suffering any penalties for rushing. Essence Boost: For every 1m invested in this effect the evoker gains a +1 bonus to Handle Animal, Survival, and Ride checks. For every 2m invested in this effect, she gains a +1 bonus to Wild Empathy checks. If at least 4m are invested in this effect, the evoker gains Scent out to a range of 10' - this range increases by 10' for every additional 4m invested in this effect. If at least 8m are invested in this effect, the evoker gains the benefits of the Track feat (if she does not already possess it). If at least 12m are invested in this effect, the evoker is considered to be under the effect of a Speak With Animals spell at all times. Cartridge Boost: When a cartridge is expended to fuel this effect, the champion may summon an animal of her choosing into an unoccupied, adjacent space. She may select any creature of the animal type possessing HD no greater than 3/4 her evoker level, and the summoned animal is in all respects ordinary for a creature of its type. The summoned animal will follow the champion's instructions to the best of its ability, and acts on the her initiative, beginning on the turn it is summoned. The creature remains for a number of rounds equal to the champion's Charisma modifier before vanishing once more. If the champion attempts to use this cartridge effect a second time while the summoned animal is still present, the original summoned creature is immediately dismissed, regardless of how many rounds might remain in its duration.